Russian Chocolate Braid

Russian Chocolate Braid....absolutely outrageous! A little bit of work...yes. But so worth it, I've never had the pleasure of tasting anything like it.  To Read More, Click On The Recipe Title.
 And isn't that why we do what we do, to taste the sinfully delicious. I found this recipe on Fine Cooking. The minute I saw it , I knew it had to be mine. George you tempted me with your Bread pudding, it's my turn to get you back. You need this buddy, you need this! The dough recipe is made in the food processor and really only takes minutes to put together. Now don't think for one minute I wasn't intimidated because I was, but I wanted it and that over rode any fear I had. The dough has sour cream,butter and a small mashed up potato in it. Warning , the dough is sticky, so sticky in fact that I really didn't
get to knead it the way the recipe called for. But it was all good!! After the dough is made, you let it rise, then roll it out with a little flour to a rectangle. Ok, now you put the pastry cream you've made on it, yeah pastry cream. Spread a layer all over it, I used all the pastry cream I made. Then you sprinkle mini chocolate chips on it, I didn't have mini , so I used regular. Roll the rectangle up from the wide side jelly roll style. Cut it down the center then make a 2 strand braid, I have to seriously work on my braiding! Let it rise again, then brushed with an egg wash and baked till golden delicious! Seriously just make this once, you have to taste the moist, rich sweet bread with those chocolate chips in it. Unbelievable! I don't know whose sweet little Russian Grandma made this first but I could hug her for it!!



Russian Chocolate Braid
Fine Cooking

Sour Cream and Potato Sweet Dough
Fine Cooking

For the dough:

8 oz. (1-1/2 cups) plus 3 Tbs. unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp. instant yeast (Red Star QuickRise, Saf’s Perfect Rise, Fleischmann’s RapidRise, or bread machine yeast)
3 Tbs. water
1 very small potato, peeled, boiled, and sieved (to yield 1/4 cup)
2 large egg yolks
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup sour cream
3 Tbs. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. table salt
1-1/2 oz. (3 Tbs.) cold unsalted butter

In a large bowl, mix the 3 Tbs. flour with the yeast and then whisk in the water. Let the mixture sit covered until it has begun to puff, 10 to 15 minutes.
Fit a large-capacity food processor with the metal blade. Put the remaining flour in the workbowl and then add the yeast mixture, potato, egg yolks, vanilla, and sour cream. Process the dough for about 1 min. Remove it from the machine and knead it by hand on an unfloured countertop for 1 minute to redistribute the heat. The dough will be very stiff at this point. Continue this alternating kneading: process for 30 seconds and then knead on the counter for about 30 seconds, until the dough is very smooth (this should take 2 to 3 processing rounds).
Put the dough back in the food processor and add the sugar and salt, kneading again in the processor and then on the counter until the sugar has dissolved (the dough will soften considerably and become very sticky; this is fine).
Finally, return the dough to the processor, add the butter, and do another alternating kneading round until the butter is well incorporated and the dough is very soft and smooth, about 1 minute. The dough won’t clean the bowl at this point. It’s all right if it feels quite soft and warm after processing: kneading the dough on the counter will help it cool down and firm up.
Transfer the dough to a container at least four times its volume (no need to grease the container); seal well. (At this point, the dough can instead be rolled in flour and then sealed in a plastic bag and refrigerated for up to 4 days. If you do mix ahead and chill the dough, pull it out of the fridge 3 to 4 hours before baking.) Let the dough ferment at room temperature for about 3 hours or until it’s expanded to 3 times its volume and an indent remains when you press it with a floured finger.

Pastry Cream
Fine Cooking

1 cup milk
2-inch piece vanilla bean, slashed lengthwise, seeds scraped out, or 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. table salt
2 large egg yolks